However Long It Takes
by venomandchampagne
Summary: A collection of Klaroline drabbles and one shots from my Tumblr. Rated M for some chapters, which are marked.
1. First Kiss

**First Kiss**

**This drabble was inspired by the Day 2 and Day 9 prompts from "10 Days of Klaroline" on Tumblr (you can find me there at venomandchampagne). The prompts were "if Caroline was to go to NOLA what would be the first thing you want her to say to Klaus" and "how do you think the real kiss of Klaus and Caroline will be like," so I combined them and this is what I came up with.**

* * *

The last thing he expected to see when he opened the door was her. But that's exactly who he found standing there in the rain that night. Caroline Forbes. Beautiful, strong, full of light. Just as he remembered.

The last time he saw her seemed like so long ago. Yet it also felt like it was yesterday. The things she did to his mind. The things she did to his heart. He opened his mouth to speak, so many thoughts rushing through his mind he wasn't sure what would come out of his mouth first, but she stopped him with a raised hand and a firm look.

"Wait. Before you say anything, and you always have something to say, let me go first. Because if I don't tell you how I feel right now, I'm afraid I never will." she said, her face the definition of serious.

Klaus stood there staring at the beauty before him, not sure he could speak even if she hadn't asked him not to. His undead heart was beating faster than it ever had since he was turned. Here she was, standing in front of him, rain water still dripping from her hair, her clothes clinging to her skin. He shook his head, clearing it before his mind wandered too far down that route. _Focus_. Could she be here, finally, to admit that she felt something for him, that she returned his feelings? Were his dreams, literally, coming true?

But no, that was impossible. Niklaus Mikaelson never truly got what he desired. His hybrids, a true family, happiness; especially not happiness. No, happiness was not something he deserved, not something he ever got. It would be weak to even hope for it.

Perhaps he should stop her before she said whatever it was she was going to say. Probably something about how he needed to stop stalking her already and that she was putting an end to this… thing between them. That's when he noticed that she had already been speaking while he had been deep in thought. Well, babbling at least it seemed.

"… And then after Stefan gave me his advice, I finally got in my car and just drove here, and wow, I did not think it would take so long! Do you have any idea what the rest stops between here and Mystic Falls look like? No I suppose you don't," she continued, barely stopping for a breath let alone to allow him to answer. "I bet you have a private plane or something and wouldn't be caught dead at a public rest stop. Or undead I guess. Anyway, so, now I'm here. Standing on your doorstep. In the rain. With you staring at me with that look. Silently. Will you say something already?" she blurted out, wrapping her arms around herself in a protective gesture.

"I thought you didn't want me to say anything," Klaus answered smoothly, hiding his insecurities behind his signature smirk.

"Ugh, you are exasperating!" she sighed. "I just wanted to get everything out before I chickened out or something. And now it's your turn. Well?"

"Well, what?" he asked, racking his brain for a question in the little bit of her speech that he had actually focused on.

"'Well what?' Are you kidding me? Did you not listen to anything I just said?" Caroline cried out, dropping her hands to her sides.

"Of course I did." he lied, taking a second too long to answer to be convincing.

"Seriously?! After everything I just- and you didn't even- I spent the entire ride rehearsing- you're infuriating, you know that?" Caroline yelled, gesturing wildly with her hands, clearly frustrated.

"Love, come now, don't be angry. Just tell me again what you came here to say," Klaus tried, reaching out a hand to grab her, pull her in closer, reassure her maybe, he wasn't exactly sure. He just wanted to touch her.

Caroline stepped back, dodging his hand. "Maybe this was a bad idea after all. I should just go."

She turned on her heel to leave the porch, rushing back out into the rain. Klaus caught the look on her face before she turned away, his heart stopping. There was such raw emotion in her eyes for that brief moment. Pain, sadness, regret, a hint of anger. He sped after her, flashing in front of her before she could leave. Before it was too late.

"Love- _Caroline_, I'm sorry. Forgive me?" He said as he grabbed her hands in his.

Caroline looked up at him in surprise. She had thought he had just ignored her speech because he had moved on, that his promises of waiting for her, for "however long it takes," were just words without any real meaning. Pretty words to play with her mind. But the look on his face right now; she knew he wasn't messing with her.

She sighed before pressing her lips together into a thin line. "Fine. But why weren't you listening? Is my being here such an awful thing that you can't be bothered to pay attention? I'm sorry if you didn't want to see me…" she trailed off as she looked down, her voice barely a whisper.

"I will always want to see you," he answered quickly, tilting her chin back up with a finger, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Don't ever think otherwise, sweetheart. Now, please, tell me what you came here to say." Klaus pleaded, his eyes searching hers for any hint of what she was going to tell him. Not finding any, he braced himself for the inevitable rejection he was sure was to come.

Caroline took a deep breath before she answered him. "I was trying to tell you that… that I… This thing between us… I can't…"

Klaus could see where this was headed. She was obviously done putting up with his unwanted advances. She was probably here to tell him she and his poor excuse for a hybrid were getting married or some other ridiculously human thing. That she wanted him to leave her alone for good now. Well, he would just save her the trouble. And himself the pain.

"There's no need for that, love." he said coldly, dropping his hands, already missing her touch. "I get the message loud and clear. Save your words and just go back to your mutt and leave me in peace," he practically snarled before he turned to head back into his house, a scowl on his face.

"What? What are you talking about?" Caroline said, frowning deeply at him, her forehead creasing. "Tyler never even bothered to come home after you freed him. He broke up with me in a freaking voicemail." she said, glaring at the memory.

Klaus spun around, surprise evident in his features. "Then why are you here?" he asked curiously.

"If you had bothered to listen to me in the first place you would know!" Caroline yelled at him, her frustration clearly winning out.

"Love," he said warningly. "Just answer me. Why are you here?"

"Because I'm falling in love with you, you idiot!" she yelled, unable to control herself. Her exasperation with the situation overrode any nervousness she still felt. Until after the words left her mouth, anyway.

Klaus' eyes widened to comedic levels at her blurted words. He guessed he probably looked similar to Caroline, whose eyebrows had ridden up almost to her hairline and her mouth had dropped open. As he took in the beautiful red flush sweeping across her cheeks her words finally hit him. She was falling for him. She could love him. Him, Niklaus Mikaelson, Original Hybrid, evil incarnate; loved.

"I mean, I came to tell you that all of this," Caroline continued quickly, gesturing between them. "I'm finally ready to give it a shot. The things you say to me, the things you do for me, only me… I've finally decided to stop lying to myself and just-"

Klaus rushed forward, catching Caroline off guard and causing her to end her babbling. He held her head between his hands, searching her eyes for any indication of betrayal, still unable to let himself believe in a happy ending.

Caroline raised her hands up to cover his own. "You told me if I showed up on your doorstep you'd show me the world. Does your offer still stand?" she asked quietly, smiling up at him.

As the rain ran down both of them in rivulets, Klaus gave her his answer. Pulling her face to his, he crushed his lips against hers, catching her by surprise. Caroline quickly recovered, however, and tangled her hands in his wet, curly hair, moving her lips against his.

Eventually the two broke apart, gasping for air. Klaus gave Caroline a self-satisfied smirk which she of course rolled her eyes at before taking his hand in her own and dragging him into his house, out of the rain. For the first time in a thousand years, Klaus felt truly happy.


	2. Sweet Caroline

**This drabble was written as a response to a prompt I was sent on my Tumblr (venomandchampagne): Klaus goes into Marcel's bar where Marcel is currently singing "Sweet Caroline" and Klaus gets worried and thinks Marcel is onto him so he calls Caroline.**

* * *

Klaus sighed. Marcel was at it again.

Klaus had just walked into the bar for a drink, alcoholic or blood, he hadn't decided, and perhaps a little subterfuge. It seemed like he spent more time scheming than not these days, not that that was anything new for him. His eyes roamed the crowd, searching for his target, and Klaus shook his head when he saw him. Of course, he was at the mic again.

The hybrid was reminded of his first night back in New Orleans. Same bar, same atmosphere, same crowd. Different song tonight though, it seemed.

_Where it began  
I can't begin to knowin'  
But then I know it's growing strong_

The song sounded familiar, but Klaus couldn't place it. Not that it mattered. He had witnessed this display far too many times now to pay it any mind. After catching Marcel's eye for a moment and giving him a slight nod, keeping up the 'friend' façade, he moved to the bar, deciding on scotch for the moment.

_Was in the spring  
And spring became the summer  
Who'd have believed you'd come along_

Klaus signaled the bartender who quickly pulled out their best bottle of scotch, already familiar with the hybrid's habits, and temper. Something was pulling at the back of Klaus' mind as he waited for his drink. Something about the song. He tried to brush it off, he had probably just heard Rebekah playing it at some point. She did enjoy blaring all types of music, at all hours. _You kept me in a box for 90 years, Nik, I have to catch up on all the music I've missed_, she liked to remind him whenever he complained.

_Hands, touchin' hands_

That nagging feeling was getting stronger. What was it about this song?

_Reachin' out, touchin' me, touchin' you_

He paused with the glass halfway to his mouth. Wait, he knew this song. No, it couldn't be-

_Sweet Caroline  
Good times never seemed so good_

Klaus' eyes widened as his whole body tensed. He half placed, half dropped his scotch glass onto the bar top. No, Marcel couldn't possibly know about her. He had been very careful not to mention anything; he tried not to even think about her. That was, of course, much easier said than done.

_I've been inclined  
To believe they never would  
But now I..._

Klaus tried to remain calm, to relax his body. If Marcel didn't know about her Klaus couldn't act suspiciously, he couldn't give anything away. But why would the younger vampire be singing that song if he didn't? That would be too coincidental, wouldn't it? Klaus composed himself as best he could and slowly turned his head toward the stage, trying to seem like he was just casually glancing at the crowd.

_Look at the night  
And it don't seem so lonely  
We fill it up with only two_

Marcel locked eyes with Klaus as he sung the next lines. Klaus could have sworn the charismatic vampire's usual smirk was more malicious than usual. He forced himself to break eye contact and pretended to calmly survey the bar, feigning disinterest.

_And when I hurt  
Hurtin' runs off my shoulders  
How can I hurt when holding you_

As he turned back around his brow furrowed and he clenched his fists as he rested them on the bar top. Klaus almost growled before he could stop himself. Instead he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. This couldn't be happening, he had been so careful! If anything happened to her, especially because of him…

_Warm, touchin' warm  
Reachin' out, touchin' me, touchin' you_

He had to know for sure.

Klaus surreptitiously reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. He hesitated for a brief moment, his eyes shifting from side to side, searching for anyone who was watching him too closely before he turned on the screen and punched in his unlock code with his thumb. An Original Hybrid can never be too careful, especially when he has things to hide. Things to protect.

_Sweet Caroline  
Good times never seemed so good_

He quickly found the number he was searching for and pressed the 'call' icon. He held the phone down in front of him, just below the bar top. Any onlookers would assume he was checking texts or some such meaningless activity. He stared intently at the screen as he unconsciously worried his lower lip with his teeth. Klaus used his enhanced hearing to listen as the phone continued to ring for what seemed like minutes. Finally, he heard her voice:

"Hi, you've reached Caroline! Leave me a message and I'll get back to you!"

_I've been inclined  
To believe they never would  
Oh, no, no_

Klaus smiled for a moment at the sound of her perky voice, thinking about how much he had missed hearing it, even when it had been far from cheerful, which was usually the case when it was directed at him. His smile quickly fell when he realized the implications of reaching her voice mail and not her. He ended the call without leaving a message and tried again. And again. Ten times and still no answer.

_Sweet Caroline  
Good times never seemed so good_

The crease in his forehead had deepened with each failed attempt to reach her. He would have to try another approach.

_Sweet Caroline  
I believe they never could_

He grabbed his glass and threw it back, downing the last of his drink before he stood. He slowly made his way towards the back hallway, to use the restroom as far as anyone watching him would suspect. He forced himself not to look at Marcel, to appear calm and unaffected, but he swore he could feel the man's eyes on his back every step of the way.

_Sweet Caroline  
Good times never seemed so good  
Sweet Caroline..._

Fortunately, the hall was empty, as were the bathrooms, according to Klaus' hearing. He pulled up a new contact on his phone and tried them instead. Only Stefan didn't answer either. Klaus was visibly irritated at this point. _Where the bloody hell is everyone?!_ A half dozen tries later and Stefan still didn't pick up.

Klaus contemplated who to call next. The doppelganger? Damon? He frowned harder, if that was possible. He was really scraping the bottom of the barrel of options at this point. Maybe he should just go check on her himself… No, he couldn't risk it. If Marcel didn't actually know anything, if he was just fishing, Klaus would lead him right to her.

He decided to try her number again, one more time, before attempting the unpleasant task of trying to reach her through _those two_. He realized he was pacing as he listened to the phone ring, once, twice, three times-

"Ugh, what do you want Klaus! My god, this better be good!"

Klaus stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of her voice, his undead heart beating rapidly, due to what emotion he didn't dare to think on.

"… Hello?! Klaus! Are you even there?"

Klaus quickly composed himself. "Love, are you alright?"

He heard her sigh. Loudly. "What are you talking about? Are you telling me that you've been blowing up mine and Stefan's phones for the past few minutes just to ask me how I am? Seriously?"

"Stefan's there?" Klaus asked, frowning. He wasn't sure why that annoyed him.

"Uh, yeah, I'm teaching him how to have some fun, without killing anyone." He could practically see her rolling her eyes. "But that's beside the point, what do you want, Klaus?"

Klaus frowned in confusion. What was she talking about, was Stefan back to being the Rippah? What exactly had he missed all summer? Pushing aside the surprising twinge of guilt he felt, he quickly became serious again. He had to make sure she was safe.

"Sweetheart, I need you to listen carefully. Have you seen anyone strange around lately? Someone out of place?"

She scoffed. "Klaus. This is Mystic Falls. Strange is normal here. You're going to have to be more specific. What's going on?"

Klaus sighed. He really didn't want to get her involved, any more than she might already be, at least. "I've made some… acquaintances around here who would very much like to exploit any weaknesses of mine, and I wanted to make sure they haven't found out about Mystic Falls."

"Why, what's here that's your 'weakness'? Are you talking about the white oak stake?"

Klaus opened and closed his mouth for a moment before he found the words to speak. Was she feigning ignorance or did she really not understand what he had just told her? "I think you know that's not what I'm talking about, love."

"I'm really not in the mood for guessing games, Klaus, so could you just-"

"You, Caroline," he interrupted. "I'm talking about _you_."

He thought he heard her breath catch. "Oh."

He could imagine the blush tinging her cheeks as he smiled at the silence coming from her end. Well, silence save for what he could swear was the sound of someone chuckling in the background.

She cleared her throat before speaking again. "Um, well, I haven't seen anyone out of the ordinary around. Should I- do I need to worry?"

Klaus considered the question. Marcel most likely wouldn't have openly taunted him unless he actually had Caroline as leverage or else he knew Klaus would just be enraged, and enraged Klaus was even less predictable than normal Klaus. It appeared that Marcel had just been bluffing. Perhaps he had heard her name from one of his family members (and if that was the case he was going to have a very stern 'talk' with them later), and decided to test the waters and see how Klaus would react. Hopefully Klaus had done a good enough job at hiding his true feelings, whatever those were, to throw Marcel off the scent.

"I don't think so, Love. But please do be careful. Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary."

"I… I will." Her voice was quiet.

Klaus cleared his throat. He was probably pushing his luck being on the phone with her in such a public place, he should end the call now that he knew she was safe. "I'm glad you're safe, sweetheart," he said quietly as he lowered his head. "If you suspect anything, or need anything, please let me know."

"Klaus…" she began before pausing.

He held his breath, wondering if he had gone too far.

"Thank you." she finished. "I might take you up on that," she added quickly, as if she couldn't say so otherwise.

Klaus smiled again. He had genuinely smiled more in the few minutes on the phone with her than in the entire few months he had been in New Orleans. He opened his mouth to give her one of his signature playful quips, but paused when he felt someone behind him.

"Ah, so this is where you ran off to! You missed my entire encore!"

Klaus schooled his face into a neutral expression before turning around to face Marcel. Klaus didn't answer him, instead quickly ending his call to Caroline before Marcel could listen in. "Rebekah, I must be going now."

"… I assume you'll explain that to me later?" she mumbled, taking his cue that he didn't want whoever the other man was to hear her.

He smiled, she was always so smart. "Of course, sweetheart." he answered before he ended the call.

He returned his phone to his pocket before he walked over to Marcel. "So sorry about that Marcel! But you know Rebekah, if she calls you must answer." Klaus joked, fixing the false smile he had all but perfected at this point on his face.

Marcel looked at Klaus for a long moment. Klaus was sure he was searching for any sign that he had hit his mark with the song earlier. After another moment Marcel's signature smirk worked its way across his face. "Oh, I know too well, my friend," he laughed as he put his arm around Klaus' shoulders. "Now come on, the night is still young! Let's have some fun."

Klaus allowed himself to be pulled back into the crowded bar, satisfied that Marcel had dropped the issue of Caroline. He thought back to his conversation with her and let another genuine smile replace his false one. If it hadn't been for Marcel who knows when he would have heard her voice otherwise? Most likely not for a long time, not until he had sorted everything out here. Perhaps it had been a blessing in disguise. He wasn't sure what exactly had come out of tonight, but he felt good about it. Well, he did know one thing that had come out of it; a new favorite song.


	3. Forbes Family Reunion- Part I

**This drabble was written as a response to a prompt on my Tumblr (venomandchampagne): Established KC. Caroline takes Klaus to a Forbes family reunion.**

**This is Part I of II.**

**(Feel free to send me prompts on Tumblr or PM me them here.)**

* * *

"If you don't stop whining it's going to take twice as long."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "I do _not_ whine," he responded, in a normal, completely unwhiney tone, mind you.

Caroline rolled her eyes as she continued to pack the suitcase. "Oh no, of course you don't. The past three hours have been filled with nothing but positivity and helpfulness from your end," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

It wasn't like she had sprung this trip on him last minute. Oh no, not Caroline Forbes, planner extraordinaire. He had known about, and agreed to attend, by the way, this family reunion for months. Now, the manner in which she had convinced him to say yes may not exactly have been fair; she seemed to recall a serious lack of clothing being involved, but that was neither here nor there. He had agreed and that was that as far as she was concerned.

And it wasn't as if she was trying to get him to attend his own family reunion; he wouldn't be the only one needing convincing if that were the case, no, this was just a simple, human Forbes Family Reunion. It only happened once every 15 years for whatever reason. She had been 9 the last time, stuck between two very unhappy parents pretending everything was okay. This time she wanted to make the most of it. It would be the last one she could attend before her appearance and age were too far apart to be believable and she wanted to indulge in her prior human life one more time. She wouldn't tell anyone that part of the reason she wanted to go was to show off her drop-dead, no pun intended, gorgeous boyfriend (or whatever Klaus was to her). And he had, albeit reluctantly, said 'yes' to this weekend. Yet here he was, acting like a petulant child at the very idea of even packing.

She heard a low growl from behind her but paid it no mind. Caroline was used to his tantrums at this point. Four years together had left her accustomed to Klaus' moods and the accompanying theatrics. That didn't mean she always enjoyed them, however.

"Careful, love, you're lucky I agreed to go along with this ridiculous endeavor in the first place." Klaus continued to stand against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, where he had been for the better part of the last hour. His body language clearly showed how distasteful he found the current situation.

"Yeah, lucky is _definitely_ the word I would choose to describe how I'm feeling right now," Caroline said under her breath, not caring that he could still hear her with his supernatural hearing, rolling her eyes once again. She idly wondered if one could pull a muscle doing that too many times. Well, if it was possible she would surely find out before the end of the day.

She finally turned around to face the obstinate hybrid, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking her hip to the left, mimicking his irritated posture. "Look, you promised me you would come with me. I never expected you to be overjoyed with the concept, but this pouting has got to stop."

"I do not _pout_ either," Klaus insisted, his bottom lip sticking suspiciously slightly further out than usual. At her raised eyebrows he sighed. "Forgive me, sweetheart, I know how much this means to you. I'm just not used to such… mundane activities."

Caroline smiled and dropped her arms to her sides. "I know, and I really do appreciate you coming with me. You know I wouldn't ask you to come if it wasn't important to me. And my mom."

Klaus watched as she crossed the room towards him, slightly wary of the unpredictable blonde. "Yes, well, I still don't quite understand why your mother is even attending in the first place. She's no longer part of that side of your family, technically." He made sure to skirt around the topic of her father as much as possible as he knew how much the subject still pained her.

"True," Caroline said as she stopped in front of Klaus, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. "But I suppose fear of the wrath of the evil-mother-in-law remains even after divorce."

Klaus smiled as he instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her closer. "Well I guess you're fortunate in that you'll never have to experience such a thing."

Caroline tried to hide her blush as she leaned her forehead down onto his shoulder, smiling. She could never tell if he said these sorts of things as a joke to mock her propensity for human traditions or if he was being serious. Either way, she would never admit how happy it made her to hear him say such things. Trying to disguise her movement, as if she could fool him anymore, he knew her so well, she turned to kiss the side of his neck. "Yeah, I can only imagine having an actual evil witch as an in-law."

Klaus smiled, squeezing her gently. If anyone else had made a joke about his mother they would have been in pieces across the room. But not Caroline. He knew she accepted and understood him, all of him, and would never mock him with something she knew was a sensitive subject for him. She was one of the only people he could trust not to use her knowledge of him to hurt him, so he knew she was only teasing him good naturedly in return. Klaus' smile turned into a smirk as he felt her lips grace his neck a second time. "Don't start something you can't finish, love." he said, his tone lower than usual.

Caroline felt her blush intensify, for entirely different reasons this time. She pulled away from Klaus' neck reluctantly. "Sorry," she said a bit sheepishly. "We really do need to finish packing so we can head out to Mystic Falls soon. Maybe you could help me now that you've finished pouting," she smirked up at him cheekily.

He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he chuckled at her audacity. Yet another thing only Caroline could get away with in his presence. "I told you before, love, I do not pout."

She gave him one of her million-watt smiles. "Well, you'd better help me finish packing or I'll give you something to pout about if you make us miss our flight!" Caroline said slyly as she wriggled her way out of his grip and walked back over to the previously abandoned suitcase.

Klaus frowned at both the cryptic promise and the loss of her from his arms. "And what do you mean by that?" he questioned.

Caroline turned to him with an all too innocent look. "I mean, if you don't start helping right now, I'm not going to pack anything from the bottom drawer of my dresser."

Klaus' eyes flicked over to the aforementioned dresser and focused on the lowermost drawer. It was half open and its contents were haphazardly hanging out, strewn over the lip of the drawer. He noticed his favorite red lacey teddy on top of the pile and licked his lips as his mind wandered back to the last time she had worn it. His mouth went dry at the memory.

Caroline raised an eyebrow and smirked at the look on his face. "Perhaps I shouldn't bother with that drawer," she said as she gestured with her hands. "I mean, you don't seem that interested in packing-"

Before she could finish, Klaus had flashed in front of her, his darkened eyes piercing hers. "Do not tease me so, Caroline." he said huskily.

Caroline shivered from the intensity of his gaze. She felt like she would never get used to the way he looked at her, and she reveled in it. She gathered herself before answering, trying to regain her teasing tone. "You love it," she smiled playfully, scrunching up her nose.

"I love _you_." he said, his gaze never wavering from hers.

Caroline's face softened and this time her smile was one of pure happiness. "I love you too, Klaus," and she leaned in to give him a quick peck on the lips. Predictably, he reached out to wrap his arms around her as he started to deepen the kiss, but Caroline knew him too well and dodged out of his reach as she pulled back. She skipped away from him, turning to give him another brilliant smile before heading into the en suite bathroom. "But we still have to pack! Maybe if you're good this weekend…" she trailed off, knowing she was playing with fire.

Klaus took several deep breaths as he watched her disappear from view, trying to calm down and resign himself to his fate of packing. He looked sullenly at the second smaller suitcase on the floor before heading into the closet to gather his clothes.

"Oh, and don't forget we're stopping to visit your sister on the way back!" Caroline called from the bathroom, grinning as she heard the answering groan.

Moral support for her mom, even though she's technically not a Forbes, her mil still insisted she come.

Last one, ever she promises, last one she can still pull off before the age difference becomes too noticeable.


	4. Forbes Family Reunion- Part II

**This is the continuation of the drabble written as a response to a prompt on my Tumblr (venomandchampagne): Established KC. Caroline takes Klaus to a Forbes family reunion.**

**This is Part II of II.**

**(Feel free to send me prompts on Tumblr or PM me them here.)**

* * *

It was Caroline's turn to groan after the fifth or so great aunt or third cousin or whatnot had pinched her cheeks and commented on how skinny and pale she was before moving on to torment another unsuspecting young person. She had to keep reminding herself that she had wanted to come to this reunion, that she was there to support her mother, that she couldn't leave yet, not matter how much she found herself wishing she could. And Klaus was certainly not helping the matter.

Where all her older relatives had nothing but critiques for her, for Klaus they were full of compliments. How handsome he was, how lucky she was to have snagged him, how charming his accent was, how adorable his dimples were, how frisky he must be in the sack; yes, thank you so much, Aunt Mildred, she would never hear the end of that one from him.

She looked over at the aforementioned hybrid who was currently regaling a half dozen of her middle-aged female relatives with some apparently engrossing tale, most likely something from the backstory they had cooked up for him on the plane ride. Mild mannered, British import, freelance artist Nik, who she had met in college at a seminar on Venomous Animal Bites. He had rolled his eyes while she laughed as she told him his new life story. "What?" she had asked when he shook his head at her. "The best lies are rooted in truth." And she had grinned so wide he couldn't help but smile back.

As she watched him talk to his rapt audience she managed to catch his eye. Or rather, he managed to catch hers. She smiled as she recognized the plea for help in his features, so subtle that she was only one of a handful of people who would be able to spot it. She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head, amused that the Almighty Original Hybrid needed help escaping the clutches of a bunch of besotted women. On second thought, it was probably best that he sought her help instead of extricating himself from an unwanted situation in his usual, violent fashion. This thought caused her to increase her pace as she walked over to him, fake charming smile plastered on her face.

"Nik, sweetie, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need your help over at the drink table. I can't remember which wine we prefer, could you help me out please?" She smiled apologetically at the ladies circled around Klaus, hoping her excuse would prove enough to allow him escape.

Klaus looked slightly more relieved at her presence than she expected. "Of course, sweetheart. Ladies, if you would excuse me." he said as he gave a slight bow towards the group, causing several of them to fan themselves as he departed with Caroline on his arm.

Caroline rolled her eyes at his actions before she snickered. "You're only encouraging them more by pulling out all that 'gentlemanly' stuff, _Nik_." she said as she steered him over to the drinks.

Klaus smirked down at her. "I can't help it if my natural charm attracts Forbes women. It worked on you didn't it? It must be genetic." His smirk widened as she rolled her eyes. "By the way, love," he said, his smirk turning into a soft smile. "I do rather enjoy it when you call me that."

Caroline looked at him, slightly confused. "Call you what?" She thought back on their conversation and tried to recall if she had used a new pet name or something, but she couldn't recall anything. _Oh wait._ "What, you mean when I call you _Nik_?"

Klaus stopped walking and pulled her against him, their chests touching. "Yes, that. No one outside my family calls me that," he said gazing into her eyes, an odd expression on his face. "I enjoy hearing it come from your lips. It sounds… right."

Caroline felt herself blushing; she felt like she was doing that around Klaus a lot lately. "Oh. Well, if you like it, I suppose I could be persuaded to use it more often," she said, giving him a small smile as she tried to squash the butterflies running rampant in her stomach. How he could make her feel like this even after a few years she didn't know. And she secretly hoped he would never stop.

Klaus leaned in and gave her a soft, yet meaningful kiss. "I would enjoy that, Caroline." he said quietly as he gently pulled away.

Caroline remained with her eyes closed for a moment longer, relishing in the warmth that spread through her body at his words. She liked it just as much when he used her name, she realized. She smiled brightly as she opened her eyes. The two stood staring at each other for another moment, saying nothing, yet speaking volumes with their eyes, before Caroline took a hold of his hand and they continued their journey to the drink table.

* * *

The rest of the reunion continued without incident. Caroline finally decided it was time to leave after she lost count of how many hints about a wedding in her future she had received from her relatives. She loved Klaus, very much, but she couldn't really picture marrying him. Not that she wouldn't want to. Hell, she would jump at the chance. It was just that the idea of two immortal beings, one already 1000 years old, following the very human tradition of marriage seemed a bit absurd. Especially for Klaus.

Klaus seemed almost reluctant to leave the festivities, which struck her as odd. At least until she asked him about it, that is.

"As much as I appreciate your positive relationship with your mother, I am not so fond of spending another night in her house. I still do not understand why you would rather not stay in a hotel." he told her as they left.

Caroline smiled up at him and laughed. "You know I don't get to visit that often, what with all your constant schemes for world domination," she said as she ignored his eye roll and continued, "So I like to spend as much time with her as I can when I do get to come back to Mystic Falls. And it's not that bad. It's not like she makes us sleep in separate rooms or anything."

Klaus sighed heavily, shaking his head at the very thought of a mere human woman dictating the sleeping habits of the Originals Hybrid.

"You know," she said, looking up at him from underneath her long lashes as they walked towards the car, "My mom won't be leaving for another hour or so, Aunt Mary has her wrapped up in some scrapbooking project at the moment. So we would have the house to ourselves," she said suggestively.

Caroline barely had a chance to gasp before he scooped her up into his arms with a growl and flashed them back to her mother's house, forgoing the car. She decided she would wait until later to berate him; probably much later if the look in his eyes was any indication.

* * *

After brunch with her mother the next morning, Caroline and Klaus said their goodbyes to the sheriff, Caroline's taking significantly longer than Klaus' tight smile and nod in response to Liz's thinly veiled glare and crossed arms. The trip to the airport was uneventful, both happy to ride in comfortable silence, Caroline dozing a bit. She waited until they were seated on the plane before she turned to Klaus, breaking the lull in conversation.

"I wanted to thank you again for coming with me this weekend. It really meant a lot to me." she said, smiling warmly at him as she reached for his hand.

Klaus returned her smile, squeezing her hand. "Of course, love. You know I would do anything for you."

She did. He had proven it to her a thousand times over by now, yet it continued to amaze her how much he was willing to do for her, silly little Caroline Forbes. She wasn't sure if she would ever truly understand what he saw in her that made him think she was worth all that. Perhaps it was similar to what she saw in him that made her able to look passed all the terrible things he had done. They truly were a perfect pair.

Caroline's expression softened at his words before a smirk slowly spread its way across her lips. "Oh, I do know. Which is why we're on our way to visit your sister right now."

Klaus groaned loudly, tossing his head back against the headrest. He knew he should have paid more attention as they made their way through the airport.

She chuckled at him. He had put up less of a fuss about going to her family reunion than he did whenever they were off to visit one of his siblings. "Don't you start pouting again," she said, laughing at his scowl. "If you're nice to Rebekah while we visit I promise to reward you when we get home."

Klaus looked over at her skeptically. "And what did you have in mind?"

"Mmm I dunno, maybe I'll let you paint me in something… red," she said slyly, surreptitiously toying with a red, lacy strap on her shoulder, pulling it out from underneath her sleeveless sundress.

It only took Klaus a moment to identify the article of clothing she was teasing him with. It was the same one he had been eyeing in her lingerie drawer as they were packing for the trip. His eyes darkened as he stared intensely into her eyes. "Don't tease me, Caroline."

She gave him a self-satisfied smirk before letting go of the strap and readjusting her dress. "You know I always keep my promises, _Nik_."

Klaus groaned before pulling her in for a kiss that was a little less than appropriate for public.

Caroline giggled as she pulled back, pecking him once more on the lips before settling back in her seat. "I take it you agree to my terms?"

"We have a deal," he smirked, giving her the distinct impression that she had just made a deal with the devil himself. And she was not at all shocked to find that she didn't mind in the least.


	5. Jesse

**This drabble was written as a response to a prompt on my Tumblr (venomandchampagne): Could you do a Drabble where Klaus has Jesse kinda watch Caroline and that's why he took interest in her so that he can give info to Klaus so he knows she's safe and then maybe finds out about Bonnie, or Silas/ Stefan or the breakup with Tyler?**

******(Feel free to send me prompts on Tumblr or PM me them here.)**

* * *

Klaus tried not to look at the phone for the tenth time in so many minutes. He was late. He should have called by now. Klaus Mikaelson was many things, but patient wasn't one of them. Not about this, at least.

He practically dove for the phone when its ringing interrupted his pacing. He spared a moment to consider how lucky he was that he had the house to himself for the night before answering. He certainly didn't need Rebekah's snide remarks and her inevitable prying into his eagerness for a phone call.

"You're late," he said gruffly into his cell.

"Sorry, I got held up. Some girl jumped out of a window and the cops were asking questions-"

"I don't need your life's story, tell me about _her_," he growled, his impatience getting the better of him, as usual.

"I still don't understand why I'm even calling you. I don't even _know_ you; you're just some weird British dude that cornered me on Returning Student Move In Day, and now- now I feel the urge to do things for you and to call you."

"Yes, well, that is how compulsion works, mate," Klaus smirked. _Humans_, he thought, shaking his head. "Why don't you just do what you were told and update me. I think you'll find you don't have a choice in the matter, anyway."

"I- I still don't…" the voice sounded confused before the familiar listless tone of a compulsion victim took over. "I saw her with her roommates, a brunette and a blonde with glasses. I invited them to the party, like you said. They showed but only the one with glasses stayed long. Then she jumped out of a window."

"Yes, yes tragic- wait, her roommate jumped? Blonde? What were their names?" he demanded. If Bonnie or Elena was dead Caroline would be devastated. Klaus felt the unfamiliar tug of worry in his chest; not for the doppelganger-turned-vampire or the witch, only for _her_.

"The brunette was… Elena. The dead girl's name was Megan."

Klaus let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Relief flooded his body. This 'Megan' must be new, Caroline was probably fine. But why was there a Megan in the first place? "What about the witch, Bonnie? Where was she?"

"I don't know any Bonnie. Those were the only people I saw Caroline with."

Klaus sighed. It was times like these that he really missed his sired hybrids. Good help was so hard to find these days. "Fine," he relented, satisfied Caroline was alright. "Anything else of interest to report?"

"No. I haven't seen her since the party."

Klaus hesitated before asking what he really wanted to know. The human was compelled, after all, it's not like he could tell anyone about Klaus and any weakness he showed. "How… How is she?"

"She seemed fine. Adjusting to college life."

"Good," he sighed. "Well, you know what to do. Keep an eye on her, do whatever it takes. And call me on time tomorrow, _Jesse_." Klaus hung up the phone abruptly, satisfied that his plan to subtlely keep tabs on Caroline was working. For the most part.

* * *

The next night the call was only 5 minutes late. Klaus was still not amused.

"Jesse," Klaus answered in a deceptively cheerful voice. "I thought we had discussed your tardiness in our last phone call."

"I'm sorry, there was this guy and he knocked me out and-"

"What?" Klaus interrupted. Perhaps this human was not the best candidate for keeping an eye on Caroline. Trouble seemed to find him just as much as it did Caroline and her friends. "Just tell me about Caroline."

"Well, that's the thing. She was there too. With that guy."

"What?" he growled. He should really be more shocked by the news that Caroline was somehow involved in this newest bit of trouble, but he wasn't; only annoyed. Honestly, he would probably be shocked if she _wasn't_ involved. "Start from the beginning!"

"Okay, well, she and her roommate, the one that's still alive [Klaus rolled his eyes], showed up in my Micro class, which is strange because they're freshmen. Anyway, they got kicked out by the professor, but I managed to get Caroline to agree to come to the bonfire tonight first. I saw her roommate- Elena there first and I talked to her for a bit before her boyfriend hit me over the head and knocked me out."

Klaus chuckled. That certainly sounded like Damon. Would the man ever stop acting so insecure about his relationship with the doppelganger? _Probably not, considering how he became her boyfriend in the first place_, he mused.

"When I came to Caroline was there. She helped me. And…" he trailed off.

Klaus frowned. He could tell the human was leaving something out. "And?" he pressed.

"And… I…"

"You can't fight the compulsion, so you may as well just tell me," Klaus said, annoyed.

"Ilikeher." he blurted out, almost too quickly for Klaus to make out the words.

"What?! Feelings are not part of the deal," he growled out.

"What 'deal'? This is just you ordering me around; I'm not getting anything out of it!"

"Semantics," Klaus said shrugging, masking his anger behind bravado. "What you're getting out of it is your life. You're not allowed to have _feelings_ for her, is that clear?"

"I thought you cared about this girl, don't you want her to be happy? Don't you care about how miserable she is?" Jesse challenged.

"What happened, I thought you said she was fine?" Klaus demanded.

"She was, I thought. Apparently she's having boyfriend troubles."

This peaked Klaus' interest. "Please elaborate."

"Well, I guess her boyfriend was supposed to come to school with her, but he deferred a semester. She said they were still together, but I think it's only a matter of time before that changes."

Interesting. Klaus would have thought his former hybrid would have been attached at the hip to Caroline. He had been surprised when his intel over the summer showed no signs of Tyler in Mystic Falls, but he had assumed the mutt was just laying low and making sure Klaus' promise to free him wasn't a ruse. Klaus snorted, as if he needed to use such a ploy to get ahold of Tyler if he truly wanted to. He had fully expected to find Tyler present at college, though.

Klaus refocused on the conversation at hand. "So you thought you would just move in on her once she's alone and vulnerable?" He narrowed his eyes, once again questioning if he had picked the right human for this task.

"What? No, it's not like that. She just… Look, I can tell when a girl is interested-"

"Enough!" Klaus roared. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, struggling to regain control of his temper. He had nothing to worry about, he told himself. He had met this boy, compelled all his secrets out of him. He knew everything about him. Sure, he was good-looking, as far as humans went, but he was just as small-town as Tyler, and apparently that was not working out well either, just as he predicted. Even if Caroline had some sort of _relationship_ with Jesse, it would be no more than a fling, really. He had promised her he would wait, however long it took. He supposed he would have to just grit his teeth and accept that "however long" might include a few more boyfriends before him. He didn't have to like it, but he could accept it. "Just… Do not hurt her," he said stiffly. "Or else I _will_ come after you. And I will do more than compel you this time."

"Uh, yeah, sure," Jesse said uneasily, deciding to just accept that vague command as permission.

"Anything else?" Klaus was now eager to end this conversation. He found himself craving a good scotch. Or a good vein.

"Nah, that's it."

"Good. Inform me of any new developments tomorrow. _On time_." Klaus hung up, hoping those new developments would be purely platonic. And free of danger.

* * *

This time the call came early. Klaus wasn't sure whether he was annoyed or impressed. He decided on annoyed, since it was about two hours early and he was halfway through a painting featuring a beautiful blonde.

"And what do you have to report today?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"I, uh, I'm not sure?" Jesse said, his tone matching his words.

Klaus sighed. That was not a good enough reason to interrupt his painting. "Then why did you call me?"

"Something feels off. My mind…"

No, definitely not a good enough reason. "Get on with it already," Klaus said impatiently.

"I feel confused. Like when you did that thing to me, compelled me. It feels like that. I don't remember how I got here."

Now that was interesting. "Go on, tell me what you do remember."

"Well, Caroline invited me to this thing in her hometown. Some creepy graveyard bell thing. Anyway, we were studying, and I kissed her, but it was awkward, so we just went back to studying. Then we were gonna party, because I guess that's what they like to do down here, party in graveyards. But then some guy shows up… And… I'm not sure, I can't remember. All I know is I'm here in some crypt. For some reason. I don't know where Caroline is."

Klaus frowned. He opted to ignore the kiss business, though he allowed himself a brief moment to enjoy that it was apparently awkward. He would have his own chance with Caroline, he was sure of it, and this little dalliance with Jesse would ultimately mean nothing. The memory loss, however, that was something important. "It sounds like you were compelled, my friend. Probably by Caroline. I advise you to call her so she can come find you. Do try to keep our appointment for later tonight, though. I am sure you will have more to tell me then. Oh, and you should probably refrain from attending anymore 'hometown events' with Caroline in the future. Mystic Falls tends to be harmful to most people's health."

"Right, okay. Thanks, I guess," Jesse said awkwardly, not sure if it was appropriate to thank the creepy guy who had basically mind controlled him for the probably wise advice.

"Mmm, don't mention it," Klaus drawled before he ended the call and returned to his painting.

It wasn't until he had finally finished the portrait that he noticed three hours had gone by. Klaus frowned and reached for his phone. No missed calls. Where was that human this time? He shook his head to remove any thoughts of Jesse being with Caroline and decided to call himself, planning to not so kindly reiterate the importance of punctuality. No one kept Klaus waiting without suffering the consequences.

Klaus was none too pleased when he couldn't reach Jesse again that night. Or the next. He decided to give it a few more days until he would start to worry. Perhaps he had made the compulsion too vague and Jesse thought he could just not check in if nothing happened involving Caroline. Surely he would call soon. He had to, after all.

* * *

Caroline looked up as a phone began to ring. It wasn't hers, the ringtone was unfamiliar. That must mean it was his. Jesse's phone. The boy she had failed to save. She wiped away her tears before guiltily picking up the phone from her nightstand, wondering which family member of his was trying to get in touch with him, and never would be able to again. As she looked at the name lit up across the screen her eyes widened before quickly narrowing to mere slits. She hastily pressed the 'answer' button and brought the phone to her ear, listening carefully to make sure there was no mistake.

"It's about time! I suppose not even compulsion can overcome your generation's inability to follow simple instructions. It's been days! Where have you been?" the familiar voice came through the earpiece, causing a myriad of emotions to rush through Caroline. She took a breath before answering, focusing on only one: anger.

"Care to explain why you're calling my new college friend's phone?" she asked icily.

Klaus stuttered out an answer, the shock at hearing her on the other end of the phone clear in his voice. "Caroline, I- I can explain."

"This better be good." she said decisively. Her tone was no-nonsense and left no room for argument.

"First off, are you all right, sweetheart?"

"What? Yes, I'm fine, Klaus, now tell me what's going on!"

Klaus smiled, despite her obvious displeasure at finding him on the other end of the line. She was still on the phone, willing to listen, and that spoke volumes as far as he was concerned. "Well, love, since you and your little group of friends seemed to attract, if not seek out danger, and I cannot be there myself, I took out a little insurance policy."

Caroline sighed. She knew talking to Klaus was probably the last thing she should be doing right now, but she was alone and upset. Plus she wanted answers. "Start from the beginning, and don't you dare leave anything out!" she demanded, settling back on her bed, making herself comfortable. She was only going to indulge him until she got her answers, she told herself. Then she would hang up. For sure.

She chose to ignore the smile that was clear in his voice as he answered. "Of course not, love. It all began when I decided to take a trip up to visit your new school…"


	6. Texting

******This drabble was written as a response to a prompt I was sent on my Tumblr (venomandchampagne):** Could you do like a longer drabble where Klaus finds out about Caroline's break up and texts her please?:) thanks!

******(Feel free to send me prompts on Tumblr or PM me them here.)**

* * *

The phone felt heavy in his hand, heavier than the hunk of plastic and metal that it was should. He continued to stare at it as his mind whirled, the events of the day weighing greatly on him. Tyler was there, in New Orleans, and not back in Virginia where he should be; with Caroline. Klaus could hardly wrap his mind around it. Why was the mutt anywhere besides in the beautiful blonde's arms? It was certainly a concept that was beyond Klaus' comprehension.

He swiped his thumb across the screen and scrolled through his contacts, seeking the familiar name. He often found himself staring at it, remembering, but never actually planning to call. Until now.

His palms felt sweatier at the thought, his thumb hesitating over the 'call' button. Well, perhaps calling wasn't the best idea, he thought, swallowing the lump that always seemed to appear in his throat whenever he thought about speaking with her. No, hearing her voice… He wasn't sure if he would be able to stop himself from racing back to Virginia, back to that cursed town, forsaking everything in New Orleans, just at the sound of her voice.

But there was another option.

Klaus wasn't a big 'texter'. He found the whole idea to be a further example of the current generation's seemingly inevitable devolution into mindless technologically-addicted zombies. He would admit that it had its uses when it came to ordering minions around, but that was as far as his appreciation for the technology went. But he supposed it wouldn't hurt to embrace the trend in this case.

It took him more minutes than he would ever admit to decide what to send. He hadn't felt this nervous about something since, well, since anything involving Caroline, he imagined. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he clicked send, feeling both ridiculous and hopeful.

_Hello, sweetheart, how are you?_

Klaus nervously licked his lips as he stared at the screen, waiting for a response. After the first minute he double checked that he had sent his message to the right number. After the fifth minute he started pacing. After the eighth minute he was about to throw down the phone in frustration when he heard it chime. He almost dropped the phone in his rush to read the message. Klaus secretly thanked his lucky stars that no one else was home to see him in such a state.

_klaus? is that u?_

Klaus smirked at his success. She was talking to him, which was a step in the right direction. And why wouldn't she, he thought, they were friends, weren't they? He made himself count to ten before he answered her, determined not to seem too eager, even if he most certainly was.

_Of course, love, who else would it be? Did you lose my number?_

He smirked as he vaguely thought that this would be an appropriate situation to use punctuation symbols to convey emotion, but he had enough trouble with emotion in face-to-face situations, let alone via technology, so he decided against it. Her response came faster this time.

_no i just nm._

_whats up?_

Klaus frowned as he read her message. What did "nm" mean? He supposed it wasn't important, she was still willing to converse with him and that was all that mattered.

_I had an interesting run in with someone today and thought I should see how you were._

Her answer came immediately. Klaus tried to suppress the rush of giddiness he felt at her quick response.

_what who? what r u talking bout Klaus?_

He only hesitated a moment before typing his response. Tyler was a delicate subject, but it was too late to turn back now. Plus Caroline deserved to know the truth about the mutt, and Klaus was more than happy to pass on any information that painted Tyler in a not so nice light.

_Your boyfriend Tyler paid me a visit. Said he was going to stop at nothing to ruin my life._

Klaus wondered if he had chosen the wrong wording after a minute passed and she had still not replied. He started to form a new message, trying to salvage the situation when she finally responded.

_hes not my bf nemore. he said he was going 2 c u, but I didnt think hed actually do it. im sry I didnt tell u._

It took him a moment to decipher her shorthand, but when he did Klaus' mouth opened in surprise. He wasn't surprised that they weren't together anymore, Tyler had practically told him as much. Well, he was surprised, actually, what with how hard Caroline had fought for the hybrid, but if Tyler had decided to throw that all away Klaus wasn't going to argue with him. Nor was he surprised that Caroline had known about Tyler's plans. What surprised him was that she was apologizing for not telling him. Maybe she truly did consider him her friend after all.

_That's alright, love. I am sure you did not mean any harm._

Klaus hesitated for a moment before he began composing another message, not waiting for her response.

_I'm sorry that Tyler left you. I meant what I told you before, I would never have let him hurt you if I had my way. I would never hurt you like that._

He held his breath as he hit 'send'. Maybe that was too much. Would she be upset? She had never responded very favorably in the past when he had vocalized his affections. He let his breath out slowly as the now familiar chime sounded.

_thank u klaus. i kno._

Klaus smiled. He had never expected their conversation to go so well. It was this good feeling that led him to give her some information he knew she was wanting to know, even if she had yet to ask.

_He is fine, by the way. A bit roughed up, perhaps, but no worse for wear, really._

He could almost hear the relief in her response.

_really? thank u for not killing him. we may not b together nemore, but that doesn't mean I want him 2 die._

Klaus found her answer to not bother him as much as he expected it to. Of course she didn't want him to kill the traitorous pup, even if he deserved nothing else. But she didn't launch into a tirade of how he shouldn't kill him in the future or beg for Tyler's life. That surprised him a bit. Not that he was complaing.

_You're welcome, love. I will do my best to avoid lethal action should he make the same mistake in the future, but I'm afraid I can give you no guaranties. I will do my best though, for your sake._

He hoped that was a sufficient compromise. He had no wish to lie to her, and promising to never harm Tyler would most certainly be a lie, especially if the mutt persisted on his foolish mission.

_i really appreciate that i kno its not really ur thing 2 b lenient, but thanks_

_god i feel like all im doing is thanking u lol_

Klaus vaguely recalled Rebekah once telling him that this "lol" meant something about laughing. He supposed that was a good sign, Caroline feeling comfortable enough to joke with him.

_Don't worry about it, sweetheart. _

_I would do anything for you._

He almost smacked himself in the forehead after he sent the last line. He was pushing her, he knew that, and he was probably going to ruin the lovely repartee they had developed. Yet he still felt he needed to say it, to remind her that he was there for her, only her.

_um ok I kno ur just being ur usual charming self, but i feel like i should tell u im not rdy yet_

_4 the whole last love thing_

Klaus was stunned as he read and reread her text. She wasn't ready _yet_. Yet. Did that mean…? His fingers flew across the screen as he composed his next message.

_Of course, love, the move is yours to make. But can I take it from your words that it's more a question of 'when' than 'if'?_

He once again held his breath as he waited for her response. She made him feel like a young man again, full of nerves and sweaty palms. He stared intently at the screen, awaiting her reply.

_lol ud like that wouldnt u? the almighty hybrid will just have to wait and c ;)_

Klaus grinned widely. It wasn't an admission of love, but it certainly wasn't a "no" either. He could hardly have hoped for such an encouraging response, and now that he had it he was overjoyed.

_Whatever you say, Caroline. :)_

He hoped he had used the proper punctuation symbols. He was so caught up in his joy that he couldn't help himself. Hopefully Caroline would understand.

_omg klaus did u just use an emoticon?_

He frowned at the text, not understanding. Klaus idly thought he would have to put more effort into becoming more familiar with the slang of today. Even though the butchery of the English language perturbed him somewhat, he disliked being confused even more.

_I'm not familiar with that term, love._

He hoped Caroline would just let the issue drop and move on to more mannered subjects, but he should have known her better.

_lol omg klaus! this is hilarious!_

Klaus' frown deepened as he became increasingly frustrated. Not knowing something put him at a disadvantage and that was not a place Klaus ever liked to be.

_I fail to see what is so humorous._

Why would she not let it go? Klaus vaguely wondered if this was what others felt in his presence when he had clearly gotten the better of them.

_lol thats exactly why its so funny_

Klaus rolled his eyes and sighed. She was like a dog with a bone. He staunchly refused to consider the irony of that statement as he made one last attempt to end this textual torment.

_Caroline…_

He gritted his teeth, willing himself to control his temper. Klaus never was one to allow others to get the better of him, and it was only the fact that it was Caroline in this case that helped keep him somewhat calm.

_okok ill stop lol_

_so how goes ur conquering of new orleans neway?_

Klaus smiled faintly at her acquiescence, glad to be moving on from his shortcomings. He was, however, surprised with her new subject. She couldn't possibly be interested in what he was doing down in NOLA, could she? Caroline was probably just being polite. He wouldn't force her to speak to him if she didn't truly desire to, Klaus did not need a pity conversation.

_You don't have to make conversation with me if you don't want to, love. I will just call it a night and let you head off to bed or studying or whatever you were doing before I interrupted._

He placed his phone down on the table, sure the conversation was over, when he heard the chime go off once again. He tried to ignore the flutter of hope he felt and assured himself that she was only saying "good night" as he picked the phone up once more.

_no i dont mind. tell me whats up with you. ive never been to nola u kno_

The grin returned as he read her reply. She truly did wish to talk to him. Well, at the very least she did not mind it, and Klaus would take what he could get at this point.

_Well, you're always welcome to come and visit. I promised you I would show you around if you ever wished._

He knew it was a long shot, but perhaps reminding her of her options would eventually spur her to start living her vampire life and forget her silly notions of playing human.

_well maybe ill take u up on that sumtime_

Klaus' smile widened, dimples clear on his face. He was suddenly very glad he had made the decision to text her tonight.

_I would be delighted, sweetheart._

Klaus texted back and forth with Caroline for another hour, talking about anything and everything. They talked about the city, about her school, about the new brand of supernatural trouble she had found herself immersed in this time. He gave her some advice and made her promise to call him if anything happened that she couldn't handle.

_I mean it, Caroline. You are quite capable, especially for a vampire of your age, but you cannot handle everything. You are immortal, not invincible. Promise me, love. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you._

Klaus insisted that she be realistic in regards to her capabilities. He didn't say how he trusted her judgment, but not so much that of her friends. Caroline would do much better on her own without that rabble to constantly put her in danger. Mentioning such an opinion would surely cause an argument, however, so he kept that opinion to himself.

He could practically see her smirk through the phone when she responded, telling him that she appreciated his concern but she could handle herself, and if he didn't believe her, he could come and visit and she would give him a firsthand demonstration. The vague invitation sent a thrill up his spine, and he cheekily told her he "might take her up on that sometime".

Finally, as the hour grew late, she admitted she should go, having a paper to finish. Klaus reluctantly agreed, giving one last attempt at pushing the boundaries of their relationship, whatever it was.

_Good luck with your paper, sweetheart._

_Would it be alright if I were to contact you again via text message in the future?_

He waited impatiently for an answer, hoping that she wouldn't laugh at the very idea, wouldn't scorn him. He got his answer a few seconds later.

_thanks! of course u can klaus, thats what friends do :)_

Klaus swore his heart started beating faster in his chest. She did still consider them to be friends, and as ridiculous as it might sound, having a friend made the 1000 year old hybrid smile in genuine happiness. It wasn't a declaration of love, of returned feelings, but it was a start. He could work with that.

_I'm glad to hear. Goodnight sweetheart, pleasant dreams._

_night klaus ttyl :)_


	7. Just Friends- Part I

******This drabble was written as a response to a prompt I was sent on my Tumblr (venomandchampagne):** Caroline tells Klaus that they're just friends (knowing that it's a lie) and he takes it as a challenge and starts touching and teasing her.

**This is my first smut attempt, so be gentle!**

**Also, for the sake of my sanity and smooth story lines, Klaus stayed in bed all day sulking for all of 4x16. Hayley is probably dead in a ditch somewhere, idec.**

**Rated M**

**I am going to add a second part to this, so stay tuned!**

******(Feel free to send me prompts on Tumblr or PM me them here.)**

* * *

Caroline wasn't sure what possessed her to spend spring break in New Orleans. Well, maybe she did know, somewhere deep, _deep_ down inside, but she wasn't about to admit it; not to herself and certainly not to anyone else. When Klaus had first offered her a ticket she had scoffed at the idea. She wouldn't be caught dead (undead?) spending her vacation with Klaus. The idea was laughable.

But as the weeks passed her thoughts kept making their way back to his offer. Was it really such an absurd idea? They were supposed to be friends, right? And it was normal for friends to visit each other. Plus her mom was going to be out of town that week for some sheriff related thing (Caroline had zoned out on the details, too focused on the fact that her mother was finally getting out of Mystic Falls for once), so she wouldn't have anyone to go home to. And furthermore, she deserved some fun! College was hard work, and not just her course load, all the vampire extracurriculars her and her friends had been engaged in were starting to take their toll (she could swear she had bags under her eyes, even though Stefan insisted that was impossible). And what better way to get some fun and relaxation in than to visit a new city? And hello, Mardi Gras!

So that's how she found herself sitting on Klaus' couch, staring into her tumbler of scotch and wondering once more how she ended up in this situation.

She had been down in NOLA for three days now, and she had to admit she had thoroughly enjoyed herself so far. Klaus had picked her up at the airport himself, dimples at full volume the minute they locked eyes. She did not blush, of course, when he so gentlemanly offered to carry her luggage, all five suitcases worth (what, a girl's gotta have options!), and still managed to hold every single door open for her. He had shown her all the best spots in New Orleans, places tourists didn't know about. Hell, she was sure most residents weren't aware of some of the places Klaus took her. Beautiful natural settings around his mansion (of course he had a mansion) on the outskirts of the city, vibrant bars in the heart of vampire territory, museums full of artwork and culture (surprisingly free of the hybrid's own work), and of course the Mardi Gras parades.

The few dozen beaded necklaces she was given required nothing more than her pretty smile and a few batted eyelashes, she was proud to say. Klaus even received a few himself from some female admirers (and she definitely did not glare at them when their hands lingered longer than strictly necessary as they slipped the necklaces around his neck). She had even given Klaus a few herself tonight, and managed to become trapped within his piercing gaze as she placed them on him. The look in his eyes burned right through her. Time seemed to stop as her breath caught and she had felt herself unconsciously leaning in towards him, her eyes beginning to flutter closed, Klaus mirroring her actions. Caroline was lost in the moment, until a drunken college guy had bumped into her, breaking the spell. She was both relieved and annoyed as she released her iron grip on the beads that now lay around his neck, while Klaus was very clearly just annoyed. She had managed to distract the irritated hybrid with another trip to the bar before he murdered the poor oblivious drunkard. They had headed back to his place soon after, Klaus unusually quiet as he drove, throwing surreptitious glances at her every few minutes. She had been more than relieved when they had finally entered the mansion for a nightcap.

And there she sat, self-consciously avoiding his gaze, sipping the strong liquor, trying to distract herself from what had almost happened a mere hour ago. The beads felt heavy against her chest, a mirror of her heavy thoughts.

Klaus watched her from the bar across the room; she could feel his eyes on her. It made her feel so very warm, yet made her want to shiver at the same time. She heard rather than saw him approach her, slowly, cautiously; as if he was afraid of spooking her. She didn't look up until he sat down on the other end of the couch, thankful for the space he gave her.

Caroline met his eyes and once again felt like she was burning under his gaze. She forced herself not to back down, not to admit to what she was feeling, so she held his gaze, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

He had looked undecided as he watched her, unsure of what to do next, which seemed so unlike him. Her defiant gesture seemed to cause him to come to a decision, however, as his lips curled into a smirk (a smirk that was in no way seductive). He slyly slid closer to her on the couch, his right arm resting along the back. He was now close enough that he could reach out and touch her hair if he wanted to. She stiffened at his nearness, which only caused his smirk to widen.

"You seem nervous, sweetheart," he drawled.

Caroline felt her cheeks redden (damn him and his sexy accent). "I'm fine," she answered stiffly, chin raised. The big gulp of scotch she took next was certainly not due to any nervousness on her part (she was just thirsty, okay?).

Klaus chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mirth and something else she didn't want to identify. "Of course you are. The Great Caroline Forbes is always 'fine,' isn't she?"

Caroline glared at him. "And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked indignantly.

He just stared at her for a moment before answering, smirk ever-present. "It means you have an answer for everything, love; a perfect, rehearsed answer. Something prepared for any situation you may find yourself in, regardless of whether it is true or not," he concluded, staring straight into her eyes.

She vaguely wondered if his eyes had always been that blue before his words truly sunk in. "What are you saying, Klaus? That I'm fake? That I'm a liar? That's pretty rich, coming from you," Caroline scoffed; she was not going to let him get to her. She didn't know what game he was playing at, but she was determined not to let him win.

His smirk widened mockingly. "We're talking about you right now, sweetheart, not me. And I'm saying that you've developed these defenses that you put up whenever someone is getting too close," he said as he reached forward and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear.

When had he gotten so close? His thigh was almost touching hers, and probably would have been if he hadn't been sitting slightly sideways on the couch, his body facing her. Caroline definitely did blush that time, ducking her head in a futile effort to hide it.

"Well, maybe if _someone_ understood the concept of personal space," she tried, licking her lips nervously as she forced herself to meet his eyes again.

Klaus' gaze focused in on that movement, staring at her lips briefly before he met her eyes. "You know I was not speaking in physical terms, Caroline," he said, his voice slightly lower and more gravely than usual.

His tone sent shivers running along her spine and Caroline had to fight the urge to visibly shudder. "I-I don't know what you mean," she stuttered.

"Why did you come here, Caroline?"

The swift topic change confused her for a moment, leaving her unsure how to answer. "What? You invited me," she said, her answer sounding more like a question even to her own ears.

That piercing look was back, and Caroline found herself unable to look away (not that she wanted to).

"Why did you accept?" he asked bluntly, his position on the couch unchanged, yet his entire body was stiff now.

"It's my Spring Break, and this is a great place to spend one, you told me so yourself," she said slowly, still not sure what he was trying to get at.

Klaus sighed as he shook his head, briefly closing his eyes, as if the conversation was exhausting him. "I mean why did you really come, Caroline? For the food? The sights? No other reason?

"We're friends. I came to visit a friend," she said matter-of-factly, proud of herself for sounding so sure (out loud anyway).

Klaus looked at her again, his smirk returning. She really had no idea what was so (annoyingly) amusing.

"Friend, hmmm? Is that how you see me?"

_Again with the piercing blue eyes_, she thought. "Um, yeah, remember, you wanted to be my friend last year? And that's what we've been ever since…" Caroline trailed off, utterly confused at this point.

She wasn't sure how he managed it, but suddenly the Klaus before her no longer seemed rigid and agitated, he now appeared to be relaxed and calculating, all without moving a muscle. He looked one hundred percent the predator and she could tell by the look in his eyes that she was the prey.

Klaus chuckled. "And do you stare at all your friends with such… longing? Do you close your eyes and lean in to your friends? Do you imagine what your lips would feel like on those of your friends? Do you touch your friends' arms unnecessarily; lingering?" he asked as he leaned in towards her ear.

Caroline was sure her entire face must be bright red by now. She felt her eyes unconsciously droop closed as his face came beside hers, his next words hot on her neck.

"Do you insist on sharing a single dessert with your friends when you are out at dinner? Do you wrap yourself arm in arm with your friends as you walk a crowded street together? Do you lean your head on your friends' shoulders as you watch the sunset from a meadow while you drink wine together? Do you feed your friends bites of your food with your own fork; with your own fingers, lingering longer than needed against their lips? Do you twine your fingers with your friends' as you pull them along from exhibit to exhibit inside the museums? Do you hold your friends close enough to feel every delicious curve of your body when you dance with them in a club? Do you lean in and start to whisper sweet words in your friends' ears before you realize how close you have gotten? Do you leave your underthings lying out in the open when you visit your friends' homes? Do you prance around your friends in only a towel-"

Caroline felt like she had been hypnotized as she listened to him list all the things she may have done with him over the past few days (okay, definitely did). She wasn't sure if it was the low, silky tone of his voice (which combined with that accent should have been illegal!), or the way his breath tickled her ear and neck, or perhaps a combination of the two. Either way, all Caroline wanted to do was sit there and listen. Maybe lean in a little closer… until she caught his last question and was brought right back down to reality.

"I do NOT prance!" she cried out indignantly, her eyes flying open and her head jerking back away from him, the spell officially broken.

Klaus frowned slightly as he reluctantly pulled away and straightened back up into his previous position. He quickly regained his smile as he heard her words. "Whatever you say, love," he chuckled, the glint in his eye clearly telling her he was thinking back to the time in question.

Caroline crossed her arms as she stared at him down her nose, chin up. "I _don't_," she insisted, annoyed when his smirk did not waver. "And anyway, I was looking for some toothpaste; I had forgotten mine and figured you would have some in one of the million bathrooms in this house."

If anything Klaus' grin grew at her words. "And you couldn't wait until after you had gotten dressed from your shower to brush your teeth? You just had to pr-_walk_ around the house, into _my_ bathroom, wet and dripping-"

"Enough!" she yelled, unable to take his teasing anymore. This only amused Klaus further as evidenced by the very large grin plastered across his face. "We're just friends, Klaus." she insisted firmly, pleased to see the grin fade from his face.

She was not pleased, however, with the determined look that flashed across his features before his face took on a more casual appearance. Caroline side eyed him warily.

"Oh really, love?" he asked nonchalantly, lifting the arm that wasn't still draped across the back of the couch so he could examine his nails. Klaus' preening soon ended, however, as he brought his hand to her face, gently cupping her cheek as he turned her head to face him fully.

Caroline did not lean into his touch and she certainly did not miss it when he dropped his hand from her face (of course not). But not even she could pretend to herself that she was prepared for what Klaus did next.

"Do friends," he drawled lazily, tilting his head to the side so he could take in her whole form, "do this?" he asked as he started ghosting his fingertips along the bare skin of her arm that was closest to him.

Caroline gasped at the feeling, unable to hide her shock. "Wh-what are you doing?!" she asked incredulously. Unfortunately, any power her shocked words might have had was lost when they left her mouth barely above a whisper. His fingers continued to trace an invisible path up and down her left arm and she was too stunned to move (yes, too stunned, not too content).

Klaus chuckled lightly as he continued stroking her arm, his eyes watching his fingers move along her skin. "Well, you keep insisting that we're 'just friends', sweetheart, so anything I do must be only a friendly gesture. Isn't that right?"

Caroline felt light headed from his touch. His fingers on her arm were so distracting, so nice, so soft, so gentle… What was he saying? "Um, I guess?" she said, still unsure of what she was agreeing to. But as long as the pleasant feeling didn't stop she didn't think she could bring herself to care.

She couldn't see his face as she was enraptured with watching his magical fingers, but she knew the smirk was there all the same.

"Friends do this as well, I assume," he said softly as the hand that had been across the back of the couch this whole time suddenly wove its way into her hair.

Caroline had to bite her tongue to keep from moaning aloud. The fingers on her arm continued their delightful trek even as his other hand gently finger combed through her curls. She had always loved it when people played with her hair. But this, the way his fingers moved through her golden locks so gently and tenderly, like a caress; this felt different. Better. More… sensual. But she couldn't let Klaus know that. "Mhmm," she murmured, enjoying the feeling too much to completely pretend otherwise. "Bonnie and Elena used to play with my hair all the time when we were little."

She instantly regretted her words as the hand in her hair stopped moving before he slowly extricated it from her curls. She wanted to whimper at the loss, but she had to stay strong (for some reason).

"Hmmm. Well, how about this then?" Klaus breathed against her ear.

When had he gotten so close? How had she not noticed him move? When had she closed her eyes? Caroline blinked her eyes open momentarily before the feeling of Klaus blowing gently on the shell of her ear caused them to flutter shut once more.

The hand on her arm slowly moved gently down to her hand, where he turned it over so her palm was facing up, resting on her thigh. Klaus started tracing patterns along the sensitive skin, causing her fingers to flex involuntarily at the light touch before she became used to the sensation.

She felt his breath move from her ear down her neck until he reached her shoulder. Caroline almost jumped when she felt his breath replaced by his fingers, moving back up her neck, each one in turn running along her skin as they reached her ear, tracing around it, tucking her hair behind it before continuing to circle it and moving back down her neck. She unconsciously tilted her head to give him better access as he began to retrace the path again. "And this?" she barely registered him saying.

After what felt like hours to her, the fingers moved from her neck to trace along her jawline, then back up to her temple where his thumb started rubbing soothing circles. All the while his other hand had continued its path along her palm, occasionally running softly along the length of her fingers.

Caroline knew she should put a stop to this before things got out of hand, but for the life of her she couldn't remember why anymore. Each touch made it more and more difficult to recall why she shouldn't be enjoying this (even though she totally wasn't); especially when the fingers left her palm and started tracing the bare skin of her thigh while the ones on her temple moved back into her hair, brushing it away from her face.

The feather-like touches moved along her thigh, sweeping along the skin that wasn't covered by her short dress, before tickling the skin along her knee. She felt as much as heard him chuckle next to her ear as she squirmed slightly. But she still couldn't bring herself to care (or open her eyes).

"And this too?" he asked, his breath hot against her neck.

Caroline didn't trust herself to answer, even if she had any idea what to say.

When his fingers danced along the hem of her dress, she breathed in sharply, feeling them barely caressing the skin underneath before darting back out, as if testing the waters. He must have seen something favorable in her reaction because the next thing she felt was his fingers softly moving up her thigh under the fabric, slowly pushing her dress higher up her legs as they went.

"This?" he crooned, making her shiver.

When her dress was bunched up about as high as it could be while she was seated, scarcely covering her legs anymore and just barely covering her underwear, Klaus' enchanted touch moved across to her right thigh, caressing that one as tenderly as the first. Caroline only noticed that her hands were shaking when she heard the glass in the tumbler which she still gripped (quite tightly) start clinking. The hand in her hair slowly glided down her body, over her neck, across her shoulder, down her arm, until it reached her hands and pried apart her fingers, removing the glass from her grasp. Caroline squeezed her eyes shut more tightly, convincing herself that being unable to see what he was doing was in some way denying it. In another moment she felt his hand return, this time caressing the back of her neck. She briefly wondered what he had done with her glass, but the thought was quickly shoved out of her mind when Klaus spoke again.

"And this, sweetheart?" he whispered, his lips brushing her neck as he spoke, the hand at her neck ceasing its caressing and instead gently holding her in place while the other continued its path along her thighs.

"What about this? Or this?"

Each word was punctuated by a soft kiss to her neck. The teasing kisses continued, moving slowly along her neck, down to her collarbone and back up. Caroline's breathing became heavy, overwhelmed by the sensations she was feeling. Her lips parted as she continued to breathe deeply, trying to regain some control. She should put a stop to this, it had gone too far. But if she was honest with herself (for once), she didn't really want to.

The fingers on her thigh had gradually become bolder, gliding further and further towards her hips, coming perilously close to the juncture of her legs. When one of Klaus' fingers lightly brushed across the lace of her panties as his hand switched thighs, she gasped, her eyes flying open.

Klaus chuckled against her neck at her reaction. "Do you have something to say, sweetheart? Perhaps something you would like to admit?" he asked sultrily, before he continued his assault, lips moving along her jaw.

Caroline flushed more (if that was even possible), both at his actions and his words. She vaguely remembered the game they were playing (they _were_ still just playing, weren't they?), and she tried to come up with a response to deny him victory. "Nothing," she breathed, her voice husky (yep, that would show him) as she stared straight ahead.

There was that chuckle again. "Hmm," he murmured against her skin (did it feel as warm to him as it felt to her?). "Is that so?" he asked as he reached her ear. "Perhaps I'm just not asking the right questions," he said softly before he gently bit her earlobe.

Caroline bit down on her lip to stifle a moan, wondering what he meant. She didn't have to wait long to find out.

Klaus' talented fingers once again trailed up her thigh, only this time they did not head back down toward her knee. No, this time they headed straight for the apex of her legs. Caroline watched in shock (and maybe something else) as his fingers once again glided across her covered mound, this time applying slightly more pressure as they passed over the lace. She couldn't bring herself to move or look away as his fingers changed course for another pass, unexpectedly ignoring her leg completely.

He slowly (agonizingly so) traced the edges of her panties, one side then the other. Caroline suddenly realized her body had become stiff and did her best to will herself to relax, to not let him see how much this was affecting her (too late, Caroline). She forced herself to lean back further into the couch, to prove she wasn't bothered by his actions at all. She realized too late, unfortunately, that by leaning back she had inadvertently shifted her legs further apart and given him better access. Crap.

And Klaus had most certainly noticed this as well, which if she couldn't tell that by the feel of his smirk against her skin, she most certainly could by the way his fingers darted over to trail down her covered folds. She found herself watching his movements with rapt attention, desperately trying to ignore the heat that moved in waves through her body, originating from where his fingers danced.

"Caroline," he groaned against her neck, sending shivers down her spine as he continued to caress her so intimately. "I can feel you even through this poor excuse for an underthing. So wet."

She couldn't stifle the moan that left her lips at his words. She had tried so hard to deny what he was doing to her, both to him and to herself, but the physical proof was impossible to deny. Her eyes fell closed again, her lids feeling heavy, as his kisses resumed. His lips pressed against her throat with more pressure this time, his tongue darting out to taste her skin as he went.

Her fingers clutched her bunched up dress, her grip tightening periodically as she fought with herself to keep her hands still. His fingers were now skillfully circling over her clit, and even through the fabric the jolts of pleasure were intense. She wasn't sure how much more she could take, and the reasons for denying this that she had been holding on to so tightly seemed to slip from her grasp with every second that passed.

Klaus' right hand had moved up into her hair again, curling around her tresses in a pleasant way as he held her head in place. His lips continued on their burning path across her skin. He moved along her jaw once more, this time moving up her chin until her reached her lips. He still did not give her a proper kiss (unfortunately), instead he continued his teasing, kissing the corner of her mouth, daring her to seek more, to take it herself. When one of his fingers suddenly delved underneath the side of her panties and caressed her naked flesh, dipping into her wet folds, Caroline lost the last vestige of control she had been hanging onto.

In one quick movement Caroline unclenched her hands and grabbed his head, turning her upper body to face him as she crashed her lips to his. Klaus groaned appreciatively as she kissed him forcefully, her tongue quickly seizing the opportunity and pushing its way inside his mouth. He let her control the kiss as her tongue dueled with his own. One of her hands found its way into his curls, gripping roughly as her other twined around his neck, keeping him close (as if he would ever dare to move). His fingers continued to stroke her, and she pulled back slightly to gasp as he circled her entrance.

They both breathed heavily for a moment, staring intensely at each other as they worked to catch their breaths. Never one to back down, Klaus smirked lightly as he rested his forehead against hers, watching her intently. "Do friends also kiss each other like that too then, Caroline?" he practically purred. "And what about this?" he asked hotly, emphasizing his words by flicking her clit with his thumb as he slowly started to press one finger inside her.

Caroline let out a long moan, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment at the sensations he was causing before she tightened her grip in his hair, pulling his head back slightly so she could look at him better, narrowing her eyes. "Shut up and kiss me, Klaus," she demanded in a breathy voice, pulling his lips back down to hers, determined to kiss away the smirk she felt on his lips.

Klaus was happy to oblige her request, tangling his tongue with hers once more as he pushed his finger deeper, delighting in her resulting whimper. He slowly pumped in and out a few times before he added a second finger, stretching her further. He felt her silky walls tighten around him in response and he moaned with her, the sound swallowed by their kiss.

She pulled away from him once more, the glaze of lust in her eyes the only thing that stopped his protest. "Take me to bed," she whispered ardently, capturing his lips once more for a few moments.

Klaus was not about to turn down such a tempting request, and certainly not one given by Caroline. Yet she had still not acknowledged whatever it was that was between them, the thing that made them more than just friends. His pride battled with his libido, the winner unclear until Caroline slid a hand down his body, sensing his hesitation.

She smirked as her hand came to rest on top of his growing hardness, feeling his length jump at her touch. "Please?" she asked, eyes wide and lips pouty, the picture of innocence were it not for the lustful glint in her eyes.

Klaus growled as he gently removed his fingers from her core, gaining a whimper of disappointment from Caroline before he scooped her up into his arms and flashed them both upstairs, still determined to hear her concede the point (as well as scream his name) before the night was through.


End file.
